CAINS & LOSSES

Wairarapa Times-Age, 14 December 1943, Page 3

CAINS & LOSSES

IN FIGHTING AROUND CHANGTEH , CHINESE ATTACKING ICHANG DEFENCES. EXTENDED AiR OPERATIONS. (Bj; Telegraph—Press Association —Copyright; "(Received This Day, 10.20 a.m.) | CHUNGKING, December 13. _ 1 The Chinese hav recaptured Niupitan, east of Changteh and have also Retaken ten villages north-west of Changteh, encircling 2,000 Japanese, of '.whom 500 were killed, says a Chinese communique. The Japanese have captured Shihmen, an important town 40 miles north-west of Changteh. The Associated Press reports that the Japanese have been driven out of Panlungkiao, 20 miles north-west of Changteh. Reinforced Japanese arc fiercely coun-ter-attacking near Ansiang, 45 miles north-east of Changteh. The Chinese, after capturing several villages in fierce hand to hand engagements, are now reported to be attacking the outer defences of the Japanese base of Ichang, on the /Yangtse. General Stilwell’s communique says Mitchells dropped 12 tons of bombs on 'Japanese installations in.towns in the

Tungting Lake sector, starting many fires. The Tokio radio announced that 'American Liberators and Mitchells bombed the Hankow area last night. A United Press correspondent at General Stilwell’s Headquarters says that, after a year of fighting in Burma and Assam, an American fighter group, equipped with P4os and Warhawks has reinforced General Chennault’s air force. Their squadrons recently escorted bombers to Haiphong and Hanoi and machine-gunned the Japanese in Indo-China and Southern China.